Collagen stimulators in East Finchley: Sculptra and Radiesse
A slower, more gradual answer to a face that has lost its support, for people who do not want to look filled.
Collagen stimulators are injectable treatments that prompt your own skin to make new collagen over months, so the face regains some of the support and firmness it has lost. They are not fillers in the usual sense: there is no gel sitting where it was placed, and the change builds slowly rather than showing on the day. At Nova in East Finchley we use Sculptra (£340 a vial, £600 for two) and Radiesse (£340 for 1.5 ml), both CE marked devices made for injection.
They suit adults from their late thirties onwards whose cheeks, temples or jawline have flattened and whose skin has lost its firmness, and who would rather have a gradual, natural-looking change than a visible one. They are not for anyone under 18, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, or anyone who wants a result for an event next month. If what you want is lips, a defined nose or a quick change, this is the wrong page, and we will say so.
What happens at your appointment
Your first visit is a free consultation. We look at your face at rest and moving, talk about what has changed and what you want back, go through your health, allergies and medicines, and photograph your face for your record. You hear every option that fits, including hyaluronic acid filler, skin boosters, HIFU and doing nothing, with the costs in writing. Because these products cannot be dissolved, first-time clients are asked to take a few days to think before booking; returning clients can go ahead on the day.
On the day, the skin is cleaned and numbed. The product is placed under the skin with a needle or a blunt cannula in about 30 to 45 minutes. Sculptra is massaged in afterwards, and you continue that at home for a few days, which matters for the result. You leave with a written aftercare sheet and a number you can reach day and night.
What results to expect and how long they last
With Sculptra, the fullness you see on the day is water and swelling, and it goes within a few days. The real change builds over two to three months as collagen forms, and most people need two or three sessions a few weeks apart to get there. With Radiesse, there is some support straight away and more firmness over the following months; most people see it for about 12 to 18 months (manufacturer data, 2026). Results vary and cannot be guaranteed, and we review you at six to twelve weeks with photographs.
Who it suits and who it does not
Collagen stimulators suit adults in good health with loss of volume in the cheeks, temples, jawline or chin, loose or thin skin on the lower face, and those who have had hyaluronic acid filler and want something that builds their own tissue instead.
They do not suit anyone under 18 (it is an offence in England to give a cosmetic injectable to a child), anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with an active infection or cold sore in the area, a tendency to keloid or raised scarring, an autoimmune condition that is not stable, or a bleeding disorder. We do not use them in the lips, under the eyes, in the nose or between the eyebrows. If you already have a filler in the area that cannot be dissolved, or filler you are not sure about, we assess carefully and may say no. If you are being pushed to have treatment by someone else, we will talk, but we will not book you.
The honest limit
A collagen stimulator cannot be dissolved. If you do not like the result, you wait for it to fade, which can take a year or more, so this is a treatment to choose slowly. It will not lift heavy, loose skin, change the shape of your face, or give you a result for next month. Lumps under the skin are a known risk, and the long-term evidence is thinner than the marketing suggests. If a hyaluronic acid filler would do the job and could be reversed, we will tell you so, even though it is cheaper.
Prices
Consultation: Free
Sculptra, 1 vial: £340
Sculptra, 2 vials: £600
Radiesse, 1.5 ml: £340
Review at 6 to 12 weeks: Free
How many vials or syringes you need depends on the area and the change you want. The plan and its total cost are set out in writing at your consultation, before anything is opened.
Risks
Common and short-lived: swelling, bruising, tenderness and redness for a few days to a week. Less common: small lumps or nodules you can feel under the skin, which with Sculptra have been reported in between about 1 and 44 per cent of people across published studies, mostly mild and more likely with uneven placement or missed massage (review, 2026); some settle on their own, some need treatment, and a few are long-lasting. Also less common: infection, a cold sore flare, or unevenness. Rare but serious: product in or near a blood vessel, which can damage the skin and, very rarely, cause loss of sight. Neither product can be dissolved, which is why we inject slowly, use cannulas where they lower the risk, and do not use them in the highest-risk areas.
Common questions
What is the difference between Sculptra and Radiesse?
Both make your skin build collagen, but Radiesse gives some support on the day and firms over months, while Sculptra shows nothing on the day and builds over two to three months and two or three sessions. Radiesse lasts about 12 to 18 months; how long Sculptra lasts varies, and we talk it through at your consultation. We suggest one or the other for the area and the change you want.
Is a collagen stimulator a filler?
Not in the usual sense. A filler is a gel that sits where it is placed. A collagen stimulator is a product your body breaks down while it builds its own tissue around it. The result is more gradual, feels more like your own face, and cannot be reversed.
Can Sculptra or Radiesse be dissolved?
No. Hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved with a dissolving treatment we keep on site; these two cannot. That is why we assess them separately, ask first-time clients to take time to think, and never use them in the lips, under the eyes or in the nose.
Does it hurt?
Expect pressure and a few sharp moments, less with numbing cream and the local anaesthetic mixed into the product. The area is tender and swollen for a few days, and with Sculptra you massage it at home for a few days, which is a little uncomfortable.
How many sessions do I need?
Radiesse is usually one session, with a review at six to twelve weeks. Sculptra is usually two or three sessions, four to six weeks apart, because collagen builds slowly. We would rather underfill and add than overfill.
Will I get lumps?
Small nodules are a known risk with both products, more so with Sculptra, and they have been reported in a wide range of people across studies. Most are small, felt rather than seen, and settle; a few need treatment or last. Correct placement and doing your massage lower the chance. We go through this before you sign.
Can I have it if I am under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding?
No. We give no cosmetic injectable to anyone under 18, which is the law in England, and we do not inject in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Collagen stimulator, filler or HIFU?
Filler for a defined change you can see on the day and reverse if needed. A collagen stimulator for gradual, longer-lasting support in a face that has lost volume and firmness. HIFU for mild loose skin with no volume loss. Many people suit a mix over time, and we set it out at the consultation.
Related treatments
Know what you want? Book a collagen stimulator now. Not sure? Book a free consultation. Or message us on WhatsApp: 077 21 400 600.
The clinic is at 260 East End Road in East Finchley, three minutes on foot from East Finchley station on the Northern line. Most people who ask us about Sculptra and Radiesse live in Hampstead, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Highgate and Muswell Hill, with others from Finchley, Golders Green, Crouch End, Whetstone and Barnet. See every area we serve.
This page is general information, not medical advice. What suits you depends on your own face, health and history, which we go through at a free consultation before anything is booked.